


Yes and No

by writing_way_too_much



Category: In the Heights - Miranda
Genre: Drunkenness, F/M, Fluff, M/M, Minor Swearing, Tiny bit of Angst, i have no idea why the title is what it is, i'll leave it up to interpretation, it sorta fits i guess?, random titles here, there's mentions of nina/benny and usnavi/vanessa but it's just them having crushes on each other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-02
Updated: 2017-06-13
Packaged: 2018-09-27 19:32:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,813
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10042724
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writing_way_too_much/pseuds/writing_way_too_much
Summary: Benny doesn't want to have a crush on his best friend. Fate says "ha" and it happens anyway.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> first besnavi fic, tell me whatcha think!

"We sold a winner yesterday," Usnavi announces. He's bent over a paper with the lottery numbers at the register. 

Benny turns around. "What's the payout? Don't tell me no five hundred dollars."

Usnavi looks up, his eyes filled with some sort of emotion. There's a beat of silence. 

"Ninety-six thousand," his best friend breathes. 

"Damn," Benny says, in sync with Sonny. 

"Ninety-six thousand," Usnavi repeats, almost like he's trying to convince himself it's real. 

"Dollars? Holler," Sonny says, shoving Usnavi to the side so he can see that paper. 

"Ninety-six thousand," Usnavi verifies, for the third time now. 

"That's a lotta spray cans," Pete points out, leaning on the counter. Usnavi casts him a glare but otherwise lets him be. 

"Ninety-six thousand." For the fourth time now. 

"Yo, if I won the lotto tomorrow, I wouldn't bother goin' on no spending spree," Benny says, grabbing a bottle of water. Maybe he can impart some wisdom into Sonny and also snap Usnavi out of whatever weird mood he's in. "I'd pick a business school and pay the entrance fee."

Usnavi gives him a look that conveys /what are you talking about/ perfectly. 

"Then maybe, if you're lucky, you'll stay friends with me," Benny jokes, lightly flicking Usnavi's shoulder. Usnavi rolls his eyes but rings up Benny's bottle of water. 

"I'll be a businessman, richer than Nina's daddy...My money's makin' money, I'm goin' from po to mo dough. Keep the bling, I want the brass ring like Frodo," Benny finishes all in one breath. 

"Oh no, there goes Mr. Braggadocio, next thing you know, you're lying like Pinocchio," Usnavi shoots back. 

"If you're scared of the bull, stay out the rodeo!" Benny retorts. Pete hops in with something that Usnavi responds scathingly to, but Benny's not really paying attention anymore. That is, until Usnavi points to him, and he tunes back in. 

"-as for you, Mr. Frodo of the Shire, ninety-six g's ain't enough to retire!"

Benny thinks fast. "C'mon, I'll have enough to knock your ass off its axis!"

"You'll have a knapsack full of jack after taxes," Usnavi states, turning to grab something off of a shelf. His aforementioned ass is cute. 

Wait, what?

Benny shakes his head and goes to head out the door, but Sonny's racing ahead of him. "Ninety-six thousand!" he hears the younger boy shout, and he grins to himself. 

He pushes open the door again, but Usnavi calls, "Benny! Wait!"

Something compels Benny to stay, so he sighs melodramatically and turns around. "Yeah?"

Usnavi leans forward conspiratorially on the counter, smirking. Benny feels his heart skip a beat and he firmly tells it /don't do that./ 

"How's Nina?"

Benny breathes an unintelligible sigh of relief. "She's stressed. You know, with the whole dropout thing. But I think she likes me, and I definitely like her."

Usnavi doesn't say anything, just deepens his smirk, and Benny starts laughing. He gives his friend a gentle shove. "How's Vanessa?"

Usnavi's expression immediately changes to something softer. Dreamier. He always gets this way when Vanessa is mentioned. 

"She's good...almost got enough saved up for that apartment of hers. I wonder, did she win the lotto?"

"Dunno," Benny responds, shrugging. Something in his brain whispers that he wants Usnavi to get the same expression on his face when he thinks about Benny. 

He mentally yells at himself. /Don't. You haven't even come out to him yet. Don't do that thing you do where you think about him and...I dunno, want him. Stop it, Benny. He's your best friend. Don't make it weird./

Oh shit. Usnavi said something and he missed it. "What?"

Usnavi shakes his head slightly at Benny, grinning a tiny grin. "I said, I was gonna go find Vanessa and see if she won."

Benny follows Usnavi out of the bodega, clutching his water bottle so hard that the cap leaves a mark on his palm.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry this took so long. i only needed to write one paragraph to finish it but i procrastinated. anyway, enjoy!

Benny is sitting in the club, feeling sorry for himself. /Unemployed/ keeps repeating itself in his mind, and he throws back another shot, trying not to cry. It's dark, so nobody will see, but it's a matter of honor and pride at this point. Also, crying would admit to himself the full extent of what’s happened that day, and he’s trying to dull that ache with alcohol.

Usnavi crosses the dance floor and plonks down next to Benny. 

Benny doesn't want to be negative, but currently all he can think about is negative. "Here's to getting fired," he says, raising his glass. 

"To killing the mood," Usnavi replies, looking at Benny with a mixture of several emotions Benny can't quite identify in his drunken state. 

"Salud," they chorus together. 

"Without so much as a thank-you," Benny continues, feeling the pull of a downward spiral of negativity. He wants to give in, but Usnavi’s talking again, and he pulls his focus back up to his best friend.

"After five long years?" Usnavi asks, incredulous. 

"Cheers," Benny replies, clinking his drink against Usnavi's. 

He then notices that his best friend is dressed up, and puts together the pieces. "You're finally gettin' Vanessa? Lemme fix your collar." He reaches for Usnavi's shirt and pats down the collar. An urge to run his fingers along the smooth skin of Usnavi's neck tugs at him, and he swallows, hard, moving his hands away before he does something he’ll regret.

"Holler!" Usnavi remarks. 

"Doin' shots on a weekend," Benny grumbles, half to himself. 

"As long as you buy 'em? L'chaim!"

Benny grins at this and motions to the bartender for a refill. 

Usnavi is momentarily distracted, and Benny stares into the frothing liquid swirling in his cup. He doesn't know what he's thinking, and the alcohol isn't helping by any means. 

He doesn’t see Vanessa nearby, and wonders why she isn’t with Usnavi. Wait, hang on...is she dancing with someone else? 

He squints. Vanessa is indeed dancing with another guy. 

"Yo," Benny says. Usnavi sinks back down into the chair. 

"Yo," his friend replies, sounding drunk. 

"Who's Vanessa talking to?"

"Some...dude."

"Some dude? Bruh, that's messed up, she's tryin' ta make you jealous!" 

"Jealous? I ain't jealous. I can take all these fellas, whateva!" Usnavi disappears into the crowd, and Benny feels his stomach sink. 

He's missed an opportunity. 

He throws back another shot. 

He firmly tells himself that he will not cry.

Nina comes over and she looks very pretty tonight, however, nothing compared to how good Usnavi looks. Benny doesn’t know what to make of that thought, but once it’s crossed his mind, he can’t take it back, so he lets it stay there. They argue, but Benny's so drunk that he can't keep track of it, can barely even think properly. 

He punches a guy. He doesn't quite know why, just that he needs to, and it feels good, to then be in a fight. He knows how to fight. He doesn’t have to think. It’s nice to have something to do, to focus on, other than the emotions and alcohol swirling and mixing together.

He slides away, along the wall, and suddenly Usnavi's there, and Benny does something either incredibly stupid or brave. Maybe both. 

He kisses him. 

At first, Usnavi seems shocked, and Benny goes to pull away, but then Usnavi reaches for him and kisses him back, hands tangling in his hair, Benny’s hands low on Usnavi’s waist, Usnavi kissing him deeply and passionately and really, really well.

Then all the lights go out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> next chapter should be up in a week, maybe more, and it'll be the last one
> 
> comment and kudos are always appreciated, and they fuel me. remember, you don't have to be signed in to leave kudos or a comment
> 
> come talk to me on tumblr @fluffmilton


	3. chapter three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yikes i forgot this fic existed sorry. a person commented and i would like to give them a shoutout. thank you very much.
> 
> this is a tad random and sort of unedited but y'know whatever

Benny pulls away from Usnavi and his brain delves into panic mode.

_ We’re gonna get crushed. _

_ I can’t see. _

_ Usnavi, where is he, can I have him back? _

Usnavi is god-knows-where and there’s frantic yelling and he can see a vague outline of the street, lit by cell phone cameras and a weak moon, nothing makes sense but Benny thinks he should probably get out, that would be the rational thing to do, but he can’t move, paralyzed by the fear of possible repercussions of that kiss.

“Come on, idiot,” Usnavi shouts, and he’s grabbing Benny’s arm and Benny lets himself be dragged along.

They burst out onto the street and it’s a mess, chaotic and terrifying. Nobody knows what’s going on and it’s so, so hot.

Usnavi kisses Benny again and Benny’s so surprised that he barely kisses him back.

“I gotta find Sonny,” Usnavi says. “Stay safe, okay?”

Benny nods, numb.

\---

“It’s unearthly hot,” Benny complains.

“I know,” Usnavi says. He’s dangling his legs over the edge of the fire escape. Part of Benny wants to pull him back, to make sure he won’t fall.

They’re trying to figure out what their relationship is. Usnavi’s about to move away to the Dominican Republic, and Benny’s staying in New York.

Usnavi taps his fingers against his leg, all nervous energy that never stops moving.

It’s after the carnaval and Benny feels just ever so slightly betrayed, that Abuela won the lotto and Usnavi didn’t say anything, didn’t tell anyone about his plans to move to the goddamn Dominican Republic and leave everyone else behind in New York.

Benny can’t stand the thought of that.

He scoots forward so he’s next to Usnavi and turns Usnavi’s head, kissing him gently, and Usnavi pulls him closer, kissing him back.

It’s a stolen moment.

“Do you think we can do long distance?” Benny mumbles when they finally break apart, and Usnavi laughs sadly.

“Am I asking you out now?” he half-jokes, and Benny’s heart falls down onto the pavement far, far below and shatters.

“I--no. I just wasn’t aware that you were going to leave and go how many miles away. If I had known I wouldn’t’ve kissed you. You leaving would’ve been less painful.”

Usnavi frowns. His forehead furrows up in the most adorable way, and Benny finds himself blinking back tears.

“I’m sorry.”

Benny’s throat is tight. Breathing is not being his friend right now.

Usnavi kisses him again, once, and then stands up and leaves.

Benny falls backwards, leaning against the building, and he starts to cry.

\---

“I’m stayin’.”

“You’re what?”

“Stayin’. Can’t leave you all behind. Gotta keep Abuela’s spirit alive.”

After Usnavi left him on the fire escape, there had been that horrible announcement on the radio that Abuela Claudia had passed away, and Benny had just crumbled. Fell to pieces on the couch. He couldn’t cry any more--all his tears were gone--but he was so mixed-up and confused and deeply saddened that he hadn’t moved for three hours, breathing shallowly.

And now Usnavi’s staying.

“So then, can we be…” Benny trails off, not letting himself get too hopeful.

“Yes,” Usnavi says. “Will you be my boyfriend?”

Benny hugs Usnavi to him, holds him, and he’s never going to let him go. “Yes.”

_ I told myself “no,” that I couldn’t fall for my best friend. _

_ Look where I am now. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> comments and kudos are always appreciated :)
> 
> tell me if you have any ideas for In The Heights fics that you would like for me to write cause there isn't enough fic for this gem of a musical

**Author's Note:**

> comments and kudos are always appreciated, and they fuel me. remember, you don't have to be signed in to leave kudos or a comment. come talk to me on tumblr @fluffmilton
> 
> next chapter is gonna be up soon, it's mostly written. i just need to finish and edit it


End file.
